Event organizers said the city gave them a deadline of Sunday to pay for the costs, which total about $90,000. The said they're prepared to pay the majority of the bill, but they're asking the city to have others pay for the rest.

Plans for this year's Keene Pumpkin Festival remain uncertain, but Friday, organizers met with city leaders to discuss finances. In October, dozens of college students were arrested after riots near Keene State College.

"It would be a shame not to have the pumpkin festival," festival founder Nancy Sporborg said. "I don't believe that we should let the riots at Keene State College take us down."

Because of additional security, the city said event organizers owed about $90,000. Let it Shine, the pumpkin festival's management firm, said it's ready to pay $59,000 of that bill.

But because the riots happened outside the area of the event, organizers are asking the community to help with the remaining $31,000.

"The Keene Pumpkin Festival is the most beautiful, brightest light that we have in Keene, New Hampshire, and probably the state of New Hampshire," Sporborg said.

Sporborg said she founded the pumpkin festival more than 20 years ago.

"There's a whole generation of kids that have grown up carving pumpkins in Keene, New Hampshire," she said. "It doesn't get any better than that."

The Keene city manager declined an on-camera interview, but he confirmed he met with Let it Shine on Friday. He said any requests about the bill must be taken to the City Council.

Let it Shine said it hopes to hold a pumpkin festival this year, but it needs to be affordable. Organizers said police need to develop a safety plan so there's not a repeat of last year.

"We don't stop the beautiful and the good because something horrible has happened," Sporborg said. "We rise above. And that's what I think we need to do in Keene, New Hampshire."

The city manager said the City Council issues the permit each year for the pumpkin festival and also handles the budgeting. Organizers said they have already created a possible logo for the 2015 event, if it's held.